Drain-valve for steam-heating radiators.



I L. E. FULLER.

DRAIN VALVE FOR STEAM HEATING RADIATORS.

Patented 0ct.6,190'8.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1908.

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I U11 E LJSTATESPATENT cl rion, g

LEWIS EUGENEFULLER, Oil-CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR O'F ONE-HALF TO ARTHUR M.

' HEATH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

*DRAIN-VALVE FOR STEAM-HEATINGL RADIATORS.

To all whom it may concern: 7. 1'

Be it known that I, LEWIS EUGENE FUL- LER, a' citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drain- Valves' for Steam-Heating Radiators; and I v do hereby declare that the followingis a full,

clear, and exact description thereof, reference the ap ended cla1ms.

taken on line 3'-3 ofFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a ver- In t e drawings Figure 1 is aside elevation of a drain valve made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical axialsectron thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section,

tical section, takenon line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical section, taken on line 5 -5 of Fig. 2'.

As shown in the drawings, 10 designates a horizontally arranged, elongated casing or' shell which is formed at one end to provide a tubular inlet branch 11 adapted for attachment to the radiator or heating unit to be drained, and with a tubular outlet branch 12 adapted for screw-threaded or other suitable connection with'an outlet ipe 13; Located in thecasing between said mlet and outlet branches is a valve closure 14, havin the general form of a disk and provided'wit-h a at lower face that is designed to engage an annular seat 15 surrounding the inner end of the outlet branch. Said seat 15. may be formed on the inner end of the pipe 13 or on a ling seated in said outlet branch." The said valve disk 14 is supported on and is controlled in its opening and closing movements by a, thermostatic bar 16 which is pivotally,

mounted within the casin -orshell at its end remote from the valve diso r closure. j The said thermostatic bar consists, as. hereinshown, of up' or and lower fiatstripsfi'? and 18 having di erent coefficients of expansion such, for instance, as zinc and spring steel, the strips being so arranged that an increase Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed. June 1c, 1908. s rial No. 438,778.

, the

r I Patented Oct. 6, 1908..

.of temperature serves to swing the free end of the barand the valve disk carried thereby toward the valve seat to close the valve, while a reduction of temperature operates to swing said bar and the valve disk away from said seat to open the valve. The two strips 17 and 1-8 are fixed fiatwise together by means of rivets 1'9, 19.

The valve disk or closure 14 is loosely mounted on the thermostatic bar and in such manner as to give the same suflicient freedom of movement thereon to accurately engage seat 15 to reliably close thevalve notwithstanding the fact that the thermostatic bar 16 maybe somewhat distorted or the seat inaecurately'facedc The means herein shown for effectingthis result consists in providing the disk on its up on side with a.central stem or lug 20 which extends upwardly .through an opening in the said bar made of greater diameter than the u per end of the stem. The said stem is ma e conical at its lower end-where it joins the disk 14 and.of

around the opening therein on a single circu lar line, while the part of the stem above said line of engagement is out of contact with the bar.. A nut 21 having screw-threaded engagement with the upper end of the stem above thegbar holds the disk or closure in place and said nut, if desired, may be such diameter that It is engaged by the bar 5 rounded on its lower side for contact with said bar. Thus there is formed between the bar and disk 6 connection in the nature of a swivel joint which permits the valve to accurat'ely accommodate itself to the seat under the abnormal conditions referred to. The pivotal connection of the thermostatic bar 16 in the casing or shell is such as to ermit the valve disk or closure carried thereby to be accurately adjusted with respect to its seat and to be maintained in such adjustment. The construction whereby suohadjustment is efiected' is made as follows:

25 designates a stationary fulcrum block which is attached to the lower wall of the loo casing-'10 insidesaid casing, as by means of 1 pivotally mounted on said fulcrum block 25.

As herein shown said fulcrum block 25 is provided on its upper-face with a transverse V- shaped notch or groove 28 and the pivot piece is provided on its under face with a like shaped transverse rib 29 engaging said notch to constitute a knife edge pivot between said parts.

31, 32 designate two screws which extend downwardly through screw-threaded openings in the upper wall of the casing or shell 10, one at each side of said fulcrum. The screw 31 constitutes a presser screw which serves to hold the pivot piece 27 engaged with the fulcrum block, and the screw 32 constitutes an adjusting screw which acts on the thermostatic bar in rear of its fulcrum to adjust the valve or closure 14 towards and away from its seat. The said adjusting screw 32 bears at its lower end, as herein shown, on the upper rounded head 33 of one of the rivets 19 by which the strips of the the'rmpstatic bar are fastened together.

The presser screw 31 may bear directly against the thermostatic bar between its fulcrum and the valve disk 14. Preferably, however, and as herein shown, the lower end of said resser screw bears against a spring carried by the bar and separated a distance therefrom in the part thereof which is engaged by the presser screw to afford a yielding connection of the presser screw with said bar. As herein shown, the said spring 35 is attached at one end to the thermostatic bar by the rivet 19, against the head 33 of which the adjusting screw bears, and the free end of said spring extends towards the disk and is separated a distance from the bar. In adjusting the parts after they have been assembled within the casing or shell, the presser screw 31 may be turned downwardly against the free end of the s ring 35 until the disk or closure 14 is presse against itsseat,

- after which the adjusting screw 32 may be turned down against the bar, or the rivet head 33, to swing said bar, against the action of the spring, upwardly to move the disk away from its seat the required distance, in

which position said disk or closure is held by 'the two screws 31 and32 acting on opposite *sides of the fulcrum of the bar.

If it be desired to adjust the disk closer to its seat the adjusting screw is turned backwardly' or eased and the spring 35 swings the free end of the bar and disk towards its seat.

By reason ofthe yielding engagement of the presser screw with the thermostaticbar, such adjustment of @the valve towards and from its seat may be effected without adjustment of the presser screw, such as would be necessary if the presser screw should bear directly against a rigid or non-yielding part of the thermostatic bar. It will be observed that the valve disk or closure may be adjusted to its seat and held in such adjusted position without imposing. a bending stress on the stri s and without in any way interfering wit their usual action under varying temperatures. Moreover, the arrangement described provides an extremely accurate adjustment and renders the operation of the valve highly sensitive to variations in temperature. The adjusting and presser screws 31 and 32 are provided at their upper ends with slotted heads 36,37 respectively, which are located in a chamber 38 formed within an annular flange 39 rising from the upper wall of the casing 10. Said chamber is closed by a screw-threaded plug 40. The end of said casing 10 adjacent to the fulcrum of the thermostatic bar is closed by a screw-threaded plug 42, the removal of which affords access to the casing to assemble the parts therein and remove them therefrom.

In some instances it may be desirable to provide means for discharging air from the valve at a time when the valve disk or closure 14 is seated. This may be elfeeted by providing the said valve with a restricted passage 50 which affords communication between the upper and lower sides of the valve disk when the latter is seated. As herein shown the-air is withdrawn from the upper part of an air chamber 51 formed in the upper art of the valve casing adjacent to the disc ar e branch thereof through the medium o a pipe 52 rising from and having screw-threaded engagement with the valve disk and communicating with said passage 50. An inverted weir 55 is located at the inner end of the inlet branch 11 and extends below the level of the lower wall or floor of said inlet branch. Said weir provides a seal at the inner end of the inlet branch when the valve casing is filled with water to the level of the lower margin of said weir to prevent the escape of steam to the air chamber 51 and thence through the tube 52 and passage 50 to the outlet branch of the valve casing. The said air chamber 51 is closed at its upper side by a screw-threaded plug 56.

In use, the drain valve is attached to the radiator or heatingunit at a point to receive the water of condensation therefrom and the outlet pipe 13 of the valve leads to a place for the disposal of the water of condensation. If the heating system in which the valve is em loyed be a vacuum system, said pipe 13 wil lead to a vacuum pump by which air and water of condensation are removed from the radiators or heating units. The thermostatic bar 16 is so constructed and arranged that when cold and before steam is admitted to the radiator or heating unit to which it is attached, the valve disk 14 is held in its open position as shown 'in Fig. 2. When steam is admitted to the radiator it drives the air therefrom through the valve to the discharge pipe 13, and when live steam enters the valve, the thermostatic bar is heated and it is expanded' to close the valve disk against its seat and prevent the wasteful escape of steam through the valve. As the water of condensation :collects from the radiator in thc valve casing and becomes cool the reduction of seams sk is again moved to its closed position to 1 cut ofi the escape of steam through the valve. The'valve is thus intermittently opened and closed to permit of the periodic discharge of water as it collects in the valve casing, while at the same time preventing the wasteful escape of steam from the radiator'oi heating unit. When the supply of steam to the radiator is discontinued the valve is opened and held open so as to drain the ,water completely therefrom, thus avoiding "liability of water freezing within the casing and disrupting the same. By reason of the horizontal elongation of the valve casing and the horizontal arrangement of the thermostatic bar therein ,the said bar is submerged by a less quantity of water than would be true if the bar were The arrangement adds disposed vertically. to the sensitiveness valve.

I claim as my invention a 1. A drain valve for removing water of of the operation of the condensation from steam heating systems comprising a horizontally elongated casing provided with a water inlet branch and at one end with a water discharge branch having branch u a val a valve seat surrounding th closure for controlling saidischarge branch, a horizontally arranged thermostatic bar in said casing on one end of which said valve closure is mounted, means for pivoting the bar at its opposite end towards and from said means acting on the ivoted end of the bar for adjusting the va ve said seat, said bar being composed of two strips of material having different coeflicients of expansion.

2. A drain .valve for removing water of condensation from steam heat' systems comprising a casingprovided wit an inlet and with a dischar e branch having ve seatsurrounding t e same, a valve closure for controlling sai I discharge branch, a thermostatic bar in the casing'on one end of which said valve closure is Y mounted, means for pivoting said bar at its opposite end to the casing, and means acting on said bar at its pivoted end for adjusting the valve towards and from its seat without imposing discharge branch, and

- a bending stress on said bar.

-mounted, means.- '65. the other end of said. barfwith the casing, a

' comprising a e same, a valve to the casing to swing towards and from I press the bar towards said fulcru adjusting. the valve closure towards and.

away from its 'seat. a

4. A drain valve for removing water of condensation" from steam heati system comprising a "casing provided wit an inlet branch and withfan outlet branch valve seat, a valve closure for controlling said outlet branch,;a thermostatic baron one end of. which said valve closure is mounted, means for pivotally connecting the other end of said bar with vice acting on said bar at one si e of its fulcrum for holding the bar against its fulcrum, an adjusting device acting on-the bar on the other side of the fulcru mfor adjust ing the valve closure toWar, and away from its seat, and a spring inter osed between said presser device and said 7 ar.

5. A drain valve. for removing water of condensation from steam heat" systems casing provided wit branch' and with a discharge branch, the latter ha'ving a valve seat, a valve closure for controlling said discharge branch, a thermostatic bar on one end of which said valve closure'is mounted, tween the other end of said bar and the easing comprising a fulcrum block fixed in the casing, a pivot piece fixed to the bar and having a e-edge pivotal connection'with said fulcrum block, and means acting on the 100 bar to adjust the valve towards and from its seat. 1

6. A' drain valve for removing water of condensation from steam heating systems comprising a casing provided wit branchand'with a discharge branch, the latter having a valve seat, a valve closure for controlling said discharge branch, a thermostatic bar on one end of which saidvalveclosure is mounted, the other end of said bar andthe casing com prising a fulcrum block fixed in the casing, a

ivot piece fixed to the bar andhavin a Enife-edge pivotal connection with said 1- crum block, a presser device actin bar between its fulcrum and sai osure to iece, and device acting on the ar at the other side of the fulcrum for adjusting the valve closure towards and from its seat.

7. A drain valve for remordng water of condensation from steam heating systems comprising a casing rovided with an inlet branch and with a disc arge branch, the latter having avalve seat,

an adjusting branch, a thermostatic which said valve closure is. pivotal 0 said bar and the casingcomprisbar on one-end of mounted, other end' mg a fulcrum-block'fixed in'the casing, e130 having a 75 the casm a presser so an inlet pivotal connection bean inlet pivotal connection between on'the a valve closure for controlllng' said dischargd connection between the I ivot piece fixed to the bar and having a mite-edge pivotal connection with said fulcrum block, a presser device acting on the bar between its fulcrum and said closure to press the bar toward said fulcrum piece, an adjusting device acting on the bar at the other side of the fulcrum for adjusting the valve closure towards and from its seat, and a spring interposed between the presser device and said bar.

8. A valve for removing water of condensation from steam heating systems comprising a horizontally elongated casing provided at one end with a discharge branch having a valve seat surrounding the same and provided also with an inlet branch, a valve closure for controlling said discharge branch, and a horizontally arranged thermostatic bar carrying at one end said valve closure and pivoted at its other end to the casing, said closure being provided with a restricted air passage arranged to permit the passage of air from the valve casing to the discharge branch when the closure is seated.

9. A valve for removing water of condensation from steam heating systems comprising a horizontally elongated casin provided at one end with a discharge branc and provided also with an inlet branch, a valve closure for controlling said discharge branch, a horizontally arranged thermostatic bar pivoted at one end to the casing and carrying at its other end said closure, said closure being provided with a restricted air esca e opening, a tube communicating with sai opening and rising from the closure into an air chamber formed in the upper part of the casing above the closure and an inverted weir arranged at the inner end of the inlet branch.

In testimony, that I claim the fore oing as my invention I afiiX my signature in t 10 presence of two witnesses, this 25th day of January A. D. 1908.

LEWIS EUGENE FULLER.

Witnesses:

G. R. WILKINS, A. M. BUNN. 

